If You'll Be My Climber, I'll Be Your Assist
by Die Einzelganger
Summary: Yowamushi Pedal AU where instead of joining Hakone Academy, Arakita Yasutomo enrolled in Sohoku High School, where he turned the lives of everyone around him upside down - for better or for worse. Depends on who you ask and at what time, really, and it just so happens that Onoda Sakamichi decided to ask Makishima Yuusuke. (Originally posted on Ao3.)
1. I

"Um, Makishima-san?"

Yuusuke rolled his eyes in fond exasperation. Hadn't he told Onoda he was a terrible conversationalist? Wasn't climbing taxing enough? Yet Onoda kept asking questions, or telling him how much fun he was having whenever he caught his breath. How patience hadn't run dry yet on either side, Yuusuke couldn't even fathom…

… _Oh, who am I kidding, sho. How could anyone get mad at this kid!_

"What is it, Onoda? Are you getting tired?"

"Um, there's something I've been wanting to ask you…"

"Oh? What is it?"

"Are… _are you and Arakita-san dating?!_ "

Yuusuke skidded to a halt.

* * *

"Yuusuke…" Yasutomo clicked his locker shut and stretched his arms. Beside him, Yuusuke glanced up from his phone, relieved no one else had returned to the clubroom yet.

"What is it?"

"I'm taking a bath. You coming?"

Yuusuke flushed. "I'll pass for now, sho. I promised I'd talk to Onoda."

" _Onoda..?_ "

"Don't worry, it's nothing serious. Just a... a heart-to-heart between climbers," Yuusuke laughed nervously.

"Alright," shrugged Yasutomo. "Knock yourselves out. … _Yuusuke._ "

"Sho..?"

Yasutomo tapped a finger to his cheek. Yuusuke leaned in and kissed him. Yasutomo returned the favor.

"See you, Yuusuke… You want dinner later?"

"Sure, sho."

"Aight…"

* * *

" _Onoda…_ "

"Yes, Makishima-san?"

"I know I said I would tell you after practice…" Yuusuke pinched the bridge of his nose, "but what are _these two_ doing here, sho?!" he gestured to Naruko and Sugimoto, who now flanked Onoda in evident anticipation.

"Oh! We um, we've all been wondering, about you and Arakita-san…"

Naruko raised his hand. "I overheard the old man say 'gross couple' under his breath."

"I began to suspect when Arakita-san brushed your hair during our briefing, and called it the pride of Sohoku," offered Sugimoto.

"Oh, man," Yuusuke rubbed his nose, "we've gotten way too obvious, sho."

* * *

"Was it love at first sight?!"

 _Of course you'd think that, Onoda..._

"Ka-ka-ka! More like giving in to the ol' hormones, _riiight,_ Makishima-san?"

 _Naruko, please!_

"I vote rivals to lovers. It's a popular trope in sports!"

 _Where did that even come from, Sugimoto?!_

"Don't make me laugh, sho..!"

On second thought, Yuusuke had no idea what descriptor fit them best. As far as he was concerned, Arakita Yasutomo simply crashed into his world and took Yuusuke by storm.

Inner radiance? Sexual charisma? Mutual appreciation and respect?

Those things, Yuusuke learned to discover for himself - after the fact, if you will.


	2. II

Honestly, at first, he was terrified of Yasutomo.

Yuusuke had chosen Sohoku specifically for its road racing club. He filled out an application as soon as he managed to get his hands on it, and snuck over to the clubroom the very morning they officially opened their doors to new members, in the hopes of avoiding needless comparison with more promising recruits. A week of constant harassment by teachers and nothing but queasy looks from his peers convinced Yuusuke it was better this way… except someone managed to precede him after all. As if the idea of introducing himself to his future senpais wasn't nerve-wracking enough, the moment they crowded around Yuusuke, urging him to show off his climbing skills, a second-year called Shiraiwa turned around and called out,

"You're coming, too, Arakita-kun!"

" _ **Haaah?!"**_

His voice, that high-pitched caricature of small-time thugs sent shivers down Yuusuke's spine. He half expected an oily pompadour and a skull-emblazoned leather jacket, but with his cropped black hair, those slender, perpetually bent eyebrows, and a lopsided mouth that barely fit on his face, scraggy and sweaty Yasutomo looked more like a drenched wolverine.

"I'm not going, it's _annoying!_ " he slammed his locker shut. "What do I care about climbing, huh?!"

"No matter what the captain says, you won't last long with that attitude," his senior wagged a finger, and Yuusuke secretly hoped his words would prove prophetic. "Besides, you're a beginner, so you need all the experience you can get, _Arakita Yasutomo!_ "

Yasutomo clicked his tongue, then shot Yuusuke a glare. Yuusuke's heart hammered in his chest.

"You'd better be _amazing_ , you gangly bastard," spat Yasutomo as he took a step forward, his legs trembling in the effort. Yuusuke's eyes widened. _Just how hard has this guy been working out..?_

"We'll lead the way, so follow us," another senior told Yuusuke. He whirled around at once to get his road racer, glad for an excuse to keep his eyes on the ground as he pushed it after them, but all the way, Yuusuke could feel Yasutomo's eyes bore into his back. At one point, he could have sworn he heard a sniffing sound and turned his head instinctively, to see Yasutomo's nose had crinkled, nostrils flaring like a hound that caught the scent of blood.

 _What's with that face,_ thought Yuusuke as he whipped his head back and pushed his GIAS just a little faster. _Was he smelling me?_ _ **Why?**_ _Do I smell bad? Am I really so disgusting to you?!_

His heart lodged into his throat. His grip tightened on the handlebars.

 _Calm down, Makishima Yuusuke! You're about to climb. Taking your road racer to the top will set you free..! You will show them.. how you can change the world around you!_

His lips twitched into a faint smile. After all, it was his seniors' opinion that _really_ mattered, right? Who cared what a beginner had to say..!

A few more sniffs, and Yasutomo fell silent. Yuusuke's shoulders loosened just a bit.

* * *

Shiraiwa and the others led Yuusuke to an artificial slope behind the school, where two more members joined to watch him climb. Yuusuke led his road racer to the base and glanced back one last time, to find that Yasutomo now stared at him in anticipation.

 _Just you wait,_ Yuusuke launched forward, his smile swelling into soundless laughter as he twisted his faithful GIAS to its limits. _I will change the world! I will change everything around me!_

Except when he finally reached the top, what pierced his happy bubble wasn't praise or acknowledgment. By the time his foot touched the ground, derisive laughter filled Yuusuke's ears.

" _What was that weird dancing?!_ "

"You can't even do the basics! Were you using that dancing to get a laugh? It's no good at all!"

" _Hilarious!_ Go get Hamano, he's gotta see this!"

Yuusuke couldn't breathe. Were they _all_ jeering? Even _him…_?

"With you, I think we'll start by going over the basics again," Shiraiwa shook his head.

"Yeah. We'll fix your form for you. Leave it to us."

 _You don't have to fix it,_ Yuusuke gritted his teeth on the verge of tears. _You're free to do anything on a bike! Am I wrong?!_ _ **I…**_

And then, _he_ joined in from below.

" _Senpai…_ "

Though Yasutomo had to raise his voice, he sounded so calm, so detached from this humiliating scene that Yuusuke set his jaws for fear he might start screaming. It was over. He had failed to impress anyone, and now Arakita Yasutomo was going to tear his charred remains to pieces.

"What's so wrong with this guy's dancing. Huh?"

Stunned silence followed. Shiraiwa spluttered with surprised laughter.

"Are you _kidding_ me, didn't you _see_ how he—"

"I _saw_ that this guy was confident he could do it, and he scaled that slope pretty damn fast," replied Yasutomo, his tone unnervingly even. "Isn't that what climbing is about, _Senpai._ "

Two whole seconds passed. Shiraiwa forced a smile.

"Arakita-kun, a beginner like you wouldn't understand—"

"Are you saying there's only one way of climbing in the entire world, _Senpai._ Huh? Are you saying there are no different techniques at all? No different styles that suit your build or abilities?"

Three seconds now. Yuusuke's stomach lurched, settled and lurched in a rising tide of nausea. Shiraiwa's brow twitched.

"Now you listen to _me,_ Arakita _-kun_."

" _Senpai…_ just accept that this guy can climb in a way you can't," shrugged Yasutomo. "He's gangly and bendy, so he climbs like a spider, and you're all stiff, so you climb like you have a stick up your ass."

Yuusuke's heart stopped. Shiraiwa's grin turned hysterical.

" _Arakita-kun…_ how would you like another hour on the rollers?"

"Whatever makes you feel big, _Senpai,_ " Yasutomo turned around, lifting a hand to wave. "To the rollers, then! _Great job,_ everyone. _Real_ supportive."

"That's it for today," Shiraiwa turned back to Yuusuke, smoldering. "Come back tomorrow. Welcome to Sohoku's road racing club."

Vomit pooled in his throat, but Yuusuke swallowed and nodded.

* * *

 _What was that guy thinking? What was he trying to do?!_

Yuusuke must have asked himself a thousand times, but no matter how he looked at it, Arakita Yasutomo remained a mystery to him.

Unable to face his fears just yet ( _Sheesh… you have no spine, Yuusuke!_ ), he sought out Shiraiwa the next day, to excuse himself from attending that afternoon.

Shiraiwa made a face. "Arakita didn't put you off, did he? Never mind him. He's a jackass, but extra practice might teach him some manners eventually," he laughed. Yuusuke's eyes fell. "Personally, I wish he'd join a different club, but Kanzaki-san told us to take good care of him."

"Kanzaki-san..?"

"He's captain of the road racing club, and the one who recruited Arakita. He'll be joining us today."

Yuusuke frowned. If Kanzaki-san seriously looked at Arakita Yasutomo and thought, _This is just what my club needed,_ he was bad news.

"Are you sure you can't come, Makishima? Two more first-years are joining today. Don't you want to meet them?"

 _And watch them get humiliated? No thanks, sho!_

"I… have somewhere to be today, sho."

"I see. Oh well..! Come back tomorrow, then, and we'll start on fixing your form!"

 _I could just quit right now and be done with this_ , Yuusuke thought to himself as he left the classroom, but the idea of running away somehow chafed him… and so the day after, he returned to the clubroom, dread coiling in the pit of his stomach.

He froze in the doorway. By the lockers stood two students he didn't recognize, and who else but Arakita "Jackass" Yasutomo.

"Oh, you came back after all," drawled Yasutomo. "I thought you quit." Yuusuke could feel his neck sink between his shoulders as he approached them.

"Are you Makishima-kun, then?" asked one of the first-years. "Kinjou Shingo. Nice to meet you."

" _ **Tadokoro Jin!**_ " bellowed the other. "I'm a sprinter! _I'll race you any day!_ "

Yuusuke raised his hands defensively.

"Makishima.. Yuusuke… sho." _What a pushy guy…_

"Is everyone here? Good," said Shiraiwa. "Today's training menus depend on your level of experience. Kinjou and Tadokoro will be training with the third years…"

" _ **Yes, sir!**_ "

"Tadokoro, lower your voice!"

"S-Sorry!"

"And Arakita and Makishima are beginners, so you'll be training with us."

Yuusuke's lip curled in terror. _**Why?**_ _Why did I have to get stuck with this guy?!_

"You got a problem..?" Yasutomo quirked a brow. Yuusuke whipped his head away.

 _Calm down, Yuusuke… if we ride outside, you can just keep your distance…!_

And at first he succeeded, too, if only because flats had never been his strong suit. Within five minutes of starting out, Yuusuke was lagging behind the pack, but as soon as they noticed, Shiraiwa and his friend fell back to either side of him.

"You're slow on flats... like a turtle!" scolded Shiraiwa. "You really _were_ lying about having experience, weren't you?"

Yuusuke hung his head. A third cyclist closed in on a dirty Bianche.

" _Senpai…_ "

Yuusuke wanted to _scream._

* * *

" _Does mocking this guy make you feel good, Senpai?"_

" _He seemed faster when you weren't breathing down his neck."_

" _Senpai…" "Oi, Senpai…"_

And it just wouldn't _stop._ From that day onward, Yuusuke was crushed between Shiraiwa and his friend in order to correct his form, and each time, Arakita Yasutomo heckled them until he was punished needlessly, since their seniors never did stop torturing Yuusuke.

 _Why are you doing this?!_ Yuusuke gritted his teeth. _Do you pity me? Am I this much of a charity case?!_

But he stayed silent… till three weeks later, Yasutomo got two more laps for suggesting Shiraiwa had an unusually small penis. By the time he started on the third, everyone had gone home except Yuusuke, who stewed in silence until Yasutomo rolled in, dripping with sweat.

"Ah, it's Makishima. What's up. Were you waiting for me."

Yuusuke's fists clenched. _It's now or never, Yuusuke!_

"Can you _stop,_ sho?"

"Huh? I just did."

"You _know_ what I mean!" snapped Yuusuke. "Just shut up! I have enough problems without you harassing me! _I hate you!_ All you do is make me feel _worse,_ _ **jackass!**_ "

Yasutomo blinked… then cracked a grin.

"Heh… so you're frustrated after all."

Yuusuke stared at him bewildered. Yasutomo's expression sobered.

"Makishima… I know how you feel. I know what it's like to feel humiliated because you can't do things the way you want to."

"What are you saying, sho?" blurted Yuusuke. "Are you— are you hiding your real form, too?!"

"Nah, I'm nothing special."

"Then _how—_ "

The words died in his throat as Yasutomo tugged up his right sleeve and held out his arm. Along the bend of his elbow ran a long scar, thick and jagged as a centipede.

"This arm once made me the best new pitcher of Kanagawa," began Yasutomo, his voice distant. "And then I broke my elbow, just before the regional tournament. I started practicing again as soon as it healed, but I never recovered. Instead, everyone was staring at me and talking shit behind my back as I kept making subpar pitches that were nowhere near my original form."

Yuusuke paled.

"Arakita… _I—_ "

"You see my problem now, _you gangly bastard?!_ " Yasutomo jabbed him in the chest. "You keep reminding me of _me_ _when I was miserable!_ Only _your_ arm isn't broken! Your _legs_ aren't broken! It's just your _self-confidence_ that's broken, Makishima! If you can't stand up for yourself, at least work on your real form in secret so you can be ready when your time comes! It's not like you're stuck on a court during practice hours, idiot! With a bike, you can go anywhere! _Fuck!_ Watching you flounder at practice makes me wanna kill myself, _dumbass!_ "

Yuusuke stared at him flustered. Yasutomo sighed and slumped forward.

"Man… I'm exhausted. But joke's on Shiraiwa. I'm getting stronger.. Aaah, I'm starving…"

And just like that, he turned his Bianche around before Yuusuke could ask if he wanted to get a _drink, or anything.. at all…_

* * *

Yuusuke only hesitated for a second, but by the time he lifted a hand and opened his mouth to say something, _anything,_ the distance between them had stretched into a chasm and left him stranded on the edge, no longer of interest and painfully invisible to Arakita Yasutomo. Only by raising his voice could Yuusuke have seized his attention again, to realize in growing bitterness that he couldn't so much as breathe a word – not for fear of being heard, but for fear of being ignored.

He clamped down on his bottom lip, cheeks seared in shame. Hadn't he been wishing for weeks on end that Yasutomo would swallow his tongue and never speak again? That his glaringly brand new, state of the art, yet obnoxiously filthy Bianche would disappear from the bicycle rack and wind up in a better place? So what was Yuusuke doing now, staring after him with hunched shoulders as Yasutomo dragged off his road racer in the direction of.. _the club…?_

Yuusuke's brow furrowed in alarm. Why would Yasutomo go back there? Had he been punished even worse than Yuusuke was aware of? Did Yasutomo finish three whole laps around their traditional long-distance course just to get stuck on the rollers again, _all because of him..?_

Yuusuke clenched his fists, ignoring the way his heart thrashed in his chest. He took a deep breath to steel himself, and a moment later, he grabbed his GIAS and turned it around to sneak after Yasutomo, pushing just fast enough not to make a sound.

He sought cover behind an old cherry tree and poked his head out, watching in growing confusion as Yasutomo slowly guided his Bianche into the bicycle rack of the road racing club. He patted the saddle with a slurred yet affectionate _"Good work today, Bian,"_ then shambled off with his helmet tucked under his arm, further and further inward. Unable - no, _refusing_ to give up now, Yuusuke crept after him, his heart lodged in his throat… then crumbled to a halt as the dormitories swam into view and Yasutomo disappeared inside the very first building, the door clicking closed behind him.

Yuusuke's jaw fell. Only his embarrassment could rival his astonishment as he stared at that row of depressingly identical, block-like structures, with rooms barely fit to sleep, let alone live in.

 _He lives_ _ **here…?**_

 _After a whole day of classes and getting worked to death, Arakita comes back to_ _ **this…?**_

Yuusuke couldn't breathe.

He staggered to the nearest bench and collapsed, hands raking through his hair. He looked at that brand new, yet dusty and neglected Bianche, and imagined a spoiled young master who couldn't even care for his expensive toys, but at the end of the day, Arakita Yasutomo seemed to have nothing, not even the energy to wipe down his frame.

 _You're scaring me, Arakita,_ Yuusuke gritted his teeth. _How can you care so much when you're just barely scraping by?! You're terrifying!_

 _It's terrifying.. how strong you are…_


	3. III

"I see!" cried Onoda with twinkling eyes. "You thought Arakita-san was just a troublemaker, but he was actually trying to help you..! Arakita-san is so _cool!_ "

"Even though that mean guy was his senpai, he never backed down! That's _badass!_ " squeaked Naruko on the verge of tears.

"I had no idea Arakita-san had an elbow injury… I should have realized, after all, I am an excellent observer..!" Sugimoto shook his head. Naruko gave him the stink eye.

"Tell us more, Makishima-san!" pleaded Onoda, hands clasped. "What about Tadokoro-san and Kinjou-san? Was Arakita-san nice to them, too?"

"Define _nice,_ " laughed Yuusuke.

* * *

" _Kinjou… it's over."_

 _His voice rang unnervingly final. Kinjou's features hardened._

" _But I can still make it! I will never give up—"_

" _ **Kinjou!**_ _"_

 _His tone struck Kinjou silent. When he had to, Yasutomo's tongue could cut through steel._

" _There's a difference between calling it quits for your own good, and having to stop because you wrecked yourself beyond repair. You're heading towards the latter. I should know."_

 _Kinjou swallowed, hard. Yasutomo arched his head._

" _You'll ace this training camp next year. Until then, take better care of yourself, and save that attitude for_ real _races, moron!"_

 _Eyes wet, Kinjou surrendered._

* * *

" _What's with you lately, Tadokoro?" Yasutomo chomped down on his third sandwich. "Even Makishima's eating more than you now."_

" _Yeah, well, maybe you two can afford to," mumbled Tadokoro, eyes diverted from his scant, unopened bento. "You eat and eat and never gain a gram… and_ _ **I—**_ _"_

" _You get fat? So_ who **cares,** dumbass!" _snapped Yasutomo. "If it bothers you, just work out and turn all that fat into muscle, moron! You've got a lot you can work with, too! You think we like being skinny little twigs, huh?!"_

 _Tadokoro choked, but Yuusuke could tell those words gave him pause._

* * *

"Arakita-san's so cool…" sighed Onoda.

"Now _hold up,_ Makishima-san," Naruko wagged a finger at Yuusuke. "This can't be the whole story! We still don't know how you two got together!"

"I was just getting to that, sho!" snapped Yuusuke, one hand rubbing his temple. "Sheesh…"

"You mean," mumbled Onoda, "that last part wasn't it..?"

"That was just the beginning," replied Yuusuke. "What happened that night only made me realize he was not my enemy. It took a little longer before I considered him my friend."

"So it was _enemies_ to lovers…" mused Sugimoto. "I was close, then!"

"Be quiet, sho!"


	4. IV

The next morning, Yuusuke tracked down Yasutomo's classroom, where he fidgeted in the corridor until Yasutomo took pity on him.

"If it isn't Makishima…" he stepped outside. "What is it. What do you want."

"I.. I just wanted to say…Thanks for last night.. sho."

" _Haaah?_ For _what?_ For showing off my disgusting scar? For being a loathsome _jackass..?_ "

Yuusuke colored. He scratched his cheek with a finger.

"Sorry I said that, sho. You had a point, and I.. I'll do secret training from now on. It's a good idea, and Shiraiwa-san doesn't listen to us anyway, so… you don't have to defend me anymore, sho. I'd rather.. you didn't get punished, because of me…

Yasutomo stared, then scoffed in amusement.

"You've got it all wrong, Makishima," he said, grin razor sharp. "This isn't really about _you._ I rag on Shiraiwa because he's a lousy, stubborn, shit-eating smallfry who's wasting everybody's time. It's been weeks and your times still suck, but will he admit he was wrong? _Hah!_ Just 'cause I'm an asshole doesn't mean I'm stupid! Senpais should hear you out and give you proper support, right?!"

Yuusuke caught himself nodding along. Yasutomo clicked his tongue.

"And that's where the _thrill_ of secret training comes in," he carried on, poking a finger at Yuusuke's chest. "Do yourself a favor, Makishima, and train real hard. Sooner or later, you're gonna end up in some climbing race for the experience or whatever, and that's where you'll wipe that fucking grin off Shiraiwa's face. If he can't accept his own failure, he'll just have to accept your victory."

"Train real hard…" echoed Yuusuke. He swallowed. "Um, about that… I'm used to riding by myself, but I'm not very, consistent… I'm just wondering, um, if you might have any.. advice…"

Yasutomo barked a laugh.

"You're _hilarious,_ Makishima," he clapped Yuusuke's shoulder. He paused. "Go ask Kinjou. Guy does extra training every morning and keeps logs on everything he does. He'll probably know what you need."

"Kinjou… does what? Wait, how do you—"

"You never talk to anyone at the club, do you? God, you're so awkward," Yasutomo scratched his head. "You should really pay more attention, you useless climber. Did you even know what class I was in, or did you find me by accident?"

Yuusuke flushed crimson and turned his head. Yasutomo nudged him in the arm.

"You know what class Kinjou's in?"

Yuusuke shook his head, lips quivering. Yasutomo lifted a hand to his mouth.

" _Oi, Kinjou!_ " he hollered into the classroom, and Yuusuke watched horrified as Kinjou Shingo emerged with a smile.

"What is it, Arakita-kun? Oh, Makishima-kun's here, too!"

"Makishima needs to talk to you. Have fun," drawled Yasutomo, who smacked Yuusuke on the back, then retired with a wave.

Five minutes later, Yuusuke returned to class positively dizzy. However, by evening, he managed to combine Yasutomo and Kinjou's advice into something greater than the sum of their parts: the first mark of a secret log behind a clubroom poster.

* * *

Training wasn't the only thing Yuusuke committed to. Mortified by his own ignorance, he promised himself he would at least pay more attention to those in his year, while climbing alone every night to finally catch up to them.

Yuusuke soon learned that Tadokoro's family owned a bakery, Kinjou loved magic tricks, and Yasutomo had an uncanny sense of smell. Risking a short chat with Kanzaki-san revealed that the captain met Yasutomo at the start of the term, when they were, browsing for bikes? Or something like that… but it was Kanzaki-san's younger sister who convinced Yasutomo to buy his Bianche, and for that, Yasutomo never failed to ask, " _How's Miki-chan?_ " in the kindest, gentlest tone Yuusuke had ever heard him use.

Come June, Yuusuke wound up at training camp, where his road racer was fitted with training wheels to curb his dancing. It was the most miserable four days the first-years ever endured. None of them could complete the menu, not even Kinjou. Their only solace was sharing a room every night. The others sounded friendly. Even Yasutomo sounded friendly, sometimes.

His secret log and a growing sense of familiarity encouraged Yuusuke to visit the club every day. Because of that, his attendance improved. And _because_ of that, that _must_ have been it, Kanzaki-san eventually rewarded Yuusuke, by signing him up for the Nineteenth Annual Minegayama Hill Climb.

Despite receiving the captain's permission, Yuusuke was cordially advised _not_ to wear the team's jersey, and his seniors' encouragement rang lukewarm at best. Nonetheless, he had made it to a real race at last… and more importantly, not everyone was jeering.

" _Makishima-kun!_ " cried Kinjou. " _ **Win, Makishima!**_ " hollered Yasutomo. For a moment, Yuusuke's heart fluttered.

 _Is it really okay to use my style..?_

 _...Who am I kidding, sho! I'll dance if it's the last thing I do!_ he spurred himself as the pack rolled out, and the very moment his seniors jokingly told him he could pass them, even take the peak if he wanted, the smell of raw metal filled Yuusuke's nostrils.

" _Thanks!_ " was all he said to them as he swerved to the left, shot past Hamano, then broke into a furious spider climb, right to the front of the pack.

One after the other, the aces of other schools gave chase, but their grunts and outbursts littered the pavement in vain. Yuusuke had left them all behind. As he twisted audaciously, his movements gloriously fluid, a sense of thrill rushed over him that rivaled even his secret log of crooked wall graffiti.

 _This feels great... My legs are stiff, but it feels so good…_

 _I knew it... I knew it!_ his heart soared as Yuusuke crossed the finish line.

 _You're free to do anything on a bike...!_

He set a new course record, and received a certificate. But what Yuusuke remembered the most was how Yasutomo hooted and laughed in their seniors' faces, then cheered so loudly at the ceremony, he made embarrassed, awkward, and deeply grateful Yuusuke cry.

* * *

Yuusuke could hardly believe what a difference that victory had made.

He impressed Kinjou, and earned Tadokoro's respect. Shiraiwa never apologized, but Yuusuke was finally free to ride as he pleased, and by extension, so was Yasutomo, who now joked and grinned, and chased Tadokoro and Kinjou around like he had never known misery in his life. Sometimes, listening to him, Yuusuke wished their happiness would never end… until, one night, his frame cried out with a loud _Crack!_ as the bottom bracket shell fractured.

The idea that it would gradually shatter beneath him wrenched Yuusuke's heart like a rag. He had climbed with that frame his entire life. He had fallen in love with its color scheme, and polished it every day. It brought him victory, and made his seniors acknowledge him. How could Yuusuke ever part with it?

Practice reverted to torture once more. Yuusuke didn't dance. He didn't push himself. Instead, he hung his head as his seniors commended him for fixing his form, and shrank whenever Yasutomo pulled up beside him, sniffing, glaring, sneering.

A few days later, they held a trial run for the upcoming Nagatoroyama Hill Climb, and unable to seek help, Yuusuke played along. Shiraiwa challenged him to a race, and he accepted. His seniors goaded him the entire way, but Yuusuke endured it. When Shiraiwa reached the top first, Yuusuke braced himself for more gloating and ridicule… but instead, what he heard was,

" _Senpai…_ "

His stomach lurched. Yasutomo's face was unreadable.

"So you managed to pass a first-year riding on a broken frame. Is that what you're so proud of? That's pretty lame, even for _you,_ Senpai."

"B-Broken?!" stammered Shiraiwa. Yuusuke's blood ran cold.

 _How did you find out, Arakita?! And why would you do this to me?!_

" _ **Makishima!"**_

Kanzaki-san sounded furious. Yuusuke's heart trembled.

"Is your frame really broken?" demanded the captain.

Yuusuke paled. Kanzaki-san shook his head.

"Stop by my place after practice. Arakita can take you there."

"Aight," shrugged Yasutomo. Yuusuke's fists clenched.

He ignored Yasutomo for the rest of practice, and most of the way to Kanzaki-san's "place," difficult though it was.

"Makishima…" "Oi, Makishima…" " _Makishima…_ "

" _Can you_ _ **shut up,**_ _sho!_ " snapped Yuusuke, his knuckles turning white on the handlebars. Yasutomo quirked his brow.

"You're awful rude, Makishima, when you're the one at fault here," he began, his tone rather flat. "Riding on a broken frame… What were you thinking, dumbass. You're lucky I figured it out, and I love bursting Shiraiwa's bubble, else you might have ridden it to pieces."

" _And what's so_ _ **wrong**_ _with that?!_ " shrieked Yuusuke. " _This frame is my whole_ _ **life!**_ I'll just have to be careful and not use that dancing anymore, and then—"

" _Then_ _ **what,**_ Makishima?! Sink to the bottom from the top?! Give up climbing when it's all you have?! Get a grip, dumbass, _or you won't even be_ _a_ _ **cyclist**_ _anymore!_ "

Yuusuke's face scrunched up. Yasutomo relented.

"Don't cry, Makishima…" he said, softer this time. "Come on.. we're almost there."

* * *

"Cycle Shop… Kanzaki?" Yuusuke parsed the signboard. " _Eh?!_ _**Kanzaki?!**_ "

Yasutomo rolled his eyes. "You had no clue, did you."

"So when he said he met you while browsing bikes, _he meant—_ "

Yuusuke bit back the words too late. His ears scorched as Yasutomo whistled.

"You asked him _about me,_ Makishima..!" he teased with a grin. "Do you like me? Huh? Are skinny, ugly guys your type? Ha-ha!"

" _Be quiet, sho!_ " stammered Yuusuke, increasingly flustered. "I don't like guys, and even if I did, you wouldn't be my type, because I like them, bigger.. sho…"

"Like Tadokoro?" squinted Yasutomo. Yuusuke buried his face in his hands.

" _I hate you so much…_ "

Yasutomo scoffed, amused.

"Calm down, you useless climber," he tapped Yuusuke on the shoulder. "I'll go talk to Miki-chan."

Yuusuke peeked through his fingers. Yasutomo sauntered inside, raised a hand to his mouth and called out,

" _Special delivery!_ "

Within seconds, a young girl of fourteen poked her head through the backdoor with a grin.

"Arakita-san, good evening!" she hurried down. Yasutomo grinned.

"How are you, _Miki-chan?_ How's school. You do your homework?"

She hummed.

"Good… _Miki-chan,_ there's a climber outside who needs your help," Yasutomo pointed over his shoulder. Yuusuke turned his back in growing embarrassment.

 _You're so meddlesome, sho! And how can you be so_ _ **nice**_ _sometimes? You're unbelievable!_

"You gotta pick him a real good frame so he can dance while climbing," explained Yasutomo. "Something super bendy and durable. You got something like that, Miki-chan?"

"We do!" chirped Miki. Yasutomo turned to Yuusuke.

"What are you waiting for? Get in here so Miki-chan can show you your new frame!"

 _I don't_ _ **want**_ _another frame, I want to go_ _ **home,**_ _sho!_ Yuusuke set his jaw and shuffled inside… then stopped at the sight of a slender frame suspended from the ceiling. _White and red… shiny and streamlined… so cool…!_

"That's the one!" nodded Miki. "TIMA oh-eight, V-X-R-S. A flexible, lugged carbon frame. It's fine on flats, but really excels on climbs! It's an older model, so you can even get a discount!"

"Well, what do you say, Makishima?" Kanzaki-san called out from the back. Yuusuke twitched.

"Kanzaki-san, I.. Um—"

"Argh! He'll _take it!_ " growled Yasutomo. "It's either your dancing or your frame, Makishima! New course records or eating Shiraiwa's dust! ...So what's it gonna be?"

Yuusuke's eyes gleamed.

Ten minutes later, they left with a rental bike courtesy of the shop. Yasutomo smirked.

"You still hate me, Makishima?"

Yuusuke blushed.

"Um, actually…"

 _Courage, Yuusuke..!_

"Now that I think about it.. I might also like.. skinny, ugly guys, sho…"

Yasutomo choked and flushed, but managed to just barely compose his features.

"Oh, _yeah?_ Then why don't you _kiss_ me, Makishima," he tapped his cheek with a finger. "Go on..! I bet you're all— tal-k…" he stammered as Yuusuke stepped close and did as he was told.

He drew back, breath held. Yasutomo was shaking.

" _Y-Yuu..._ "

Yuusuke's heart hammered.

The next moment, Yasutomo grabbed his cheeks and kissed him, _hard._

* * *

Yasutomo's lips were thin, thinner than the air around them. Yuusuke tasted salt and saliva, nose clogged with the stench of sweat and metal as Yasutomo's clammy hands squeezed his cheeks.

 _So disgusting_... and yet when Yasutomo pulled back, both panting because they forgot to breathe, Yuusuke beheld him mesmerized. Yasutomo's face was burning, so Yuusuke must have grown beet red, too, but Yasutomo didn't seem repulsed at all. He tilted his head with a nudge, as if seeking permission, and when Yuusuke licked his lips, Yasutomo pressed their mouths together again without a sound. His fingers slipped into Yuusuke's hair. Yuusuke screwed his eyes shut, half expecting a tug, a shove, some punchline to this weird charade, but those fingers caressed his locks with uncharacteristic tenderness.

Yasutomo drew away just enough to surprise him with a third kiss, soft and quick. Their eyes locked.

" _Yuusuke…_ " he whispered, awestruck. Yuusuke swallowed.

"You've got a _lot of hair,_ " murmured Yasutomo. He brushed a tuft behind Yuusuke's ear, then watched it slip free. "You should grow it out. It would look good on you."

Yuusuke snorted. The urge to take a crack at himself rose in his throat, but he crammed it down.

"What about your hair, sho?" he managed to say, wringing his hands by his thighs. Yasutomo barked a laugh.

"Actually, I had a pompadour before I joined the club."

"A _pompadour_..?" blurted Yuusuke, somehow disappointed he could have missed _that_.

"Yeah, but it got in the way," Yasutomo pointed to his forehead. "It's a bitch squeezing a pompadour under a bicycle helmet, you know?"

Yuusuke wheezed in silent laughter, realizing too late that Yasutomo's right hand dipped below and caught Yuusuke's left. Yasutomo gave it a squeeze. A jolt rushed through Yuusuke's palm and straight into his belly.

" _Yuusuke…_ do you really like me?" purred Yasutomo. Yuusuke's cheeks bloomed. "Huh..? Am I your _boyfriend_ now, Yuusuke..?"

"I guess…" mumbled Yuusuke, his right hand scratching idly at his neck. His left trembled in Yasutomo's, but he squeezed back all the same. Yasutomo chuckled.

"Don't you worry, Yuusuke," he drawled, blissful and content. "Just 'cause I'm an asshole doesn't mean I'm a bad guy. I'll treat you real nice.. You'll see.."

Yuusuke's lips twitched upward, probably into one of those awful smiles everyone abhorred so much, but Yasutomo only grinned harder, lopsided, jagged, and strangely wonderful.

" _Yuusuke.._ " Yasutomo kept saying his name as if he loved the sound of it, then pointed at his cheek. "Kiss me again."

Yuusuke flushed, but he leaned over and gave Yasutomo a peck on the cheek. Yasutomo turned his head just in time to catch the corner of Yuusuke's mouth in a kiss.

"You going home soon?" he said quietly. Yuusuke hummed.

"I guess it's pretty late, sho…"

"Yeah…"

Yasutomo released his hand and mounted his Bianche.

"See you later, _Yuusuke_..."

"Night… Yasu..tomo," Yuusuke mounted the rental bike. He lowered his head, shivering.

 _What's with me, sho… I…_

 _I can't stop grinning at all…!_


	5. V

" _Makishima-san..!_ " weeped Onoda.

" _ **Hooold it!**_ " Naruko brandished a finger at him. Yuusuke heaved a sigh.

"What is it _now,_ Naruko..?"

"This is well and all, but if you love Arakita-san, then how come you're always on the phone with some guy named Toudou?!"

A scandalized gasp escaped Onoda. Yuusuke gurgled.

"Fess up, Makishima-san! Are you a dirty two-timer, or is this a _laissez-faire?!_ "

"That's _ménage-à-trois_ , and _no, I am not!_ " snapped Yuusuke. "Toudou is my _rival,_ sho!"

"Do Arakita-san and Toudou-san know each other?" asked Sugimoto.

"W-Well, they've met, yeah..."

"Please tell us more, Makishima-san!" twinkled Onoda.

Yuusuke's expression softened.

* * *

" _Yuusuke, where_ were _you?" chided Yasutomo as Yuusuke pulled up with his road racer._

" _Sorry," he mumbled, "I bumped into some guy named Toudou…"_

"Toudou? _Never heard of him."_

" _Me neither. He got so mad at me, he called me an insect, sho."_

 _Yasutomo's face stiffened. "…So what did this Toudou look like?"_

" _Um, let's see… average height? He wore a headband—"_

" _Headband, got it," Yasutomo turned away. "I'll go kill him."_

" _There's no need for that, sho!" cried Yuusuke. "We'll be racing, so I'll just beat him there..!"_

 _Yasutomo grunted._

"Fiiine… _Go get him, Yuusuke."_

 _Despite himself, Yuusuke smiled._

* * *

 _Yuusuke couldn't win, even though he had just won. First it was his hair, now his smile._ Sheesh!

" _Let's give this another try!" insisted Toudou, but fortunately, Yasutomo finally reached them._

" _Is this the guy, Yuusuke?" he glowered at Toudou. "The one that called you names?"_

" _And who might_ you _be?" scoffed Toudou._

" _I'm Arakita Yasutomo, and_ this _is_ **Makishima Yuusuke,** _" gestured Yasutomo. "Disrespect him again, and I'll snap your headband in half."_

 _Toudou spluttered. Yuusuke flushed._

" _Sorry. Protective types, am I right..?"_

 _As Yasutomo ushered him away, Yuusuke couldn't decide if Toudou looked offended, disgusted, dejected, or all three._

* * *

"Yuusuke! _Pick up your phone!"_

" _I'm busy, sho!"_

" _But it's_ annoying me..!"

" _It's just Toudou, let it ring!"_

 _Unfortunately for Yuusuke, Yasutomo had other plans._

" _Teshima-chan," he pushed the phone towards his junior, "pick up for Yuusuke, will ya?"_

 _Teshima took the phone and struck a pose. Yasutomo bit his lip._

" _Makishima Yuusuke, sho."_

"Maki-chaaan!"

 _Yasutomo keeled over with suppressed laughter, feet kicking the air. Yuusuke snatched the phone from Teshima's hands, then swiped a finger across his throat._

"Maki-chan, I have so much to tell you! _…_ Maki-chan?"

" _I'm here,_ I'm here, sho! _" huffed Yuusuke, ignoring Yasutomo's throes of laughter._


	6. VI

_But enough about Toudou for a while. Nor could Yuusuke bring himself to talk of the more intimate moments of his relationship, that awkward mess of two inexperienced teenagers grasping at manga clichés, all the while hiding from most of the club in fear of their unreliable seniors._

 _They held hands under the table, even when it felt sweaty and gross. They touched and kissed, little more than nervous or curious, just because that's how adults did it. They said and did ridiculous things that Yuusuke wouldn't confess if they tore his mouth open… but he did have one early story he could tell: that of the Nagatoroyama Hill Climb, or how Arakita Yasutomo blew him away._

For a hard worker, Yasutomo put forth minimal effort during regular practice. Even Yuusuke could pass him on flats, and he hardly ever accepted a challenge, though Tadokoro pestered him constantly. But each time Yasutomo got serious, he showed drastic improvement from the last… and so as the Nagatoroyama Hill Climb approached, shivers ran down Yuusuke's spine when Yasutomo kissed him and said,

"I'm working real hard, Yuusuke. Don't tell anyone, but I'm gonna take you to the top. You'll see."

He repeated that promise every day, and Yuusuke kept brushing it off as romantic nonsense… until they finally stood side by side, near the back of the pack.

" _Yuusuke…_ "

"Sho..?"

"Stick to me like glue, Yuusuke. We've never tried this before, but I know we can do it. Do you trust me?"

A storm crackled in his eyes. Yuusuke nodded, his heart humming.

As the pack surged, Yuusuke shadowed him as close as possible.

"Wait for it…"

Up ahead, Yasutomo spotted an opening. _"Let's go!_ "

Yuusuke watched, hypnotized, as Yasutomo skidded to the left and squeezed through a narrow gap between two cyclists, leaving the rest of Sohoku behind. Yuusuke slipped after him, glad his style practically centered around impossible angles, but Yasutomo? _How?_

"I've been observing you, Yuusuke," explained Yasutomo as they squeezed past another cluster. "I'm not that flexible, but my balance makes up for it!"

They passed a larger group and Yasutomo started swerving left and right, startling nearby cyclists into drawing aside.

"That's right, _out of the way!_ " Yasutomo wriggled forward, Yuusuke tucked behind him, till the crowd cleared and they glimpsed the open road at last. Yasutomo lifted away from his saddle. Yuusuke's heart skipped a beat.

" _Here we go,_ Yuusuke," Yasutomo grabbed his lower handlebars. "I'll show you.. _how Arakita Yasutomo_ _ **pulls!**_ "

As he burst forward in a rough, dynamic sprint, Yuusuke felt sucked into a vacuum, forced to cling to his lower handlebars for dear life. Up front, Yasutomo skirted the guard rail and hit a reflector.

" _Yasutomo!_ " screeched Yuusuke.

" _Hah!_ That didn't even _tingle!_ " Yasutomo charged forward, shaving off every corner until they reached a large incline.

"Pull up.. Yuusuke…!"

As Yuusuke passed him, Yasutomo pressed a damp, shaky hand to his lower back.

"This is it, Yuusuke… _now go_ _and_ _ **take the PEAK!**_ "

* * *

As Yasutomo launched him forward, the knot in Yuusuke's stomach disappeared. He rose from his saddle, eyes on the peak.

 _Here I go, Yasutomo..!_

He twisted left, then right, quivering in excitement as his frame arched like a dream.

 _It's just like I imagined it!_

 _ **This is awesome, sho!**_

As the scenery blurred and he ascended to the top, Yuusuke sailed past the finish line lighter than a feather. He then counted the seconds till Yasutomo's arrival, who collapsed from his road racer battered and beaming.

" _Yuusuke…_ congratulations," he murmured from his stretcher in the tent. "You liked your new frame? Was it nice..?"

Yuusuke bit his lip.

"Will you be quiet and rest, sho! You're a _mess!_ Who cares about my frame, sho?!"

" _You_ do," replied Yasutomo. Yuusuke's eyes widened.

"You were so upset about your old frame, Yuusuke. You climbed your whole life with it, you won your first race with it, and I figured… maybe, if you made a really great memory with your new one, you'd learn to love this frame, too."

Yuusuke's heart clenched. Yasutomo flashed him a fond smile.

"Taking the peak is the best memory a climber can make. Am I wrong, Yuusuke."

"...You were so _reckless,_ sho," Yuusuke wiped his eyes. "Why would you ride so close to the railing?"

"Because that's the fastest way, Yuusuke," Yasutomo reached up to touch Yuusuke's cheek. "I actually owe the idea to that asshole Shiraiwa for making me do so many extra laps. After a while, I realized that to finish quicker, I had to stick to the inside, and cut corners without mercy."

Yuusuke sniffled. Yasutomo closed his eyes.

"Did I impress you, Yuusuke..? The way I rode for you. I worked real hard, Yuusuke…"

Yuusuke dropped his head onto Yasutomo's chest and nodded, shoulders quaking as Yasutomo mussed his hair.

 _After two years, Yuusuke's heart still fluttered when he remembered the Nagatoroyama Hill Climb, the first time someone outside of family had put themselves on the line just to make him happy. No awkward pretenses. No annoyed looks or roundabout explanations of what else had been gained by doing so - only his emotional wellbeing in mind, just because he was_ Yuusuke.

 _Well… it wasn't as if Yasutomo had never,_ ever _fibbed about his motives, but most of the time, and especially at crucial moments, he laid himself bare and confronted reality with incredible ease. Sometimes, hearing him speak the rawest, hardest truth in the plainest terms possible was downright terrifying… and other times, it was liberating beyond measure._

 _In fact, one memory Yuusuke cherished above all others, a testament to Yasutomo's commitment and the firmness of his love and principles, pertained exactly to the telling of hard truths… and it almost pained Yuusuke that he couldn't share it with his starry-eyed juniors._

 _It was intimate and painful, but also beautiful, that third night of the second-year training camp, when Yuusuke took a leap of faith and Arakita Yasutomo caught him like a charm._

* * *

"Yuusuke… how come you never bathe with us?"

Yuusuke turned his head, squirming in the bath as Yasutomo settled beside him. _I fucked up! I should have waited till he was asleep, sho!_

"Are you really just shy? …Is everything, okay _down there,_ " whispered Yasutomo. Yuusuke flinched.

"What counts as _okay?_ " he forced out the words. Yasutomo shrugged.

" _You know..!_ No _warts,_ or, _scabs,_ or… stuff you should get checked out."

Yuusuke grew crimson. "It's nothing like that, sho," he lowered his eyes. "I promise."

"If you say so…"

 _You don't believe me, do you…_

His chest grew tight as the silence dragged on, painfully aware of Yasutomo's inquisitive gaze, the slight quiver of his nose. Yuusuke's hands clenched in his lap.

"You wanna know what's _down there?_ " he breathed, his cheeks flaring. " _Nothing._ "

Yasutomo twitched and stared. Yuusuke cringed.

" _You heard me!_ " he hissed. "Don't make me _say it!_ "

Yasutomo's eyes widened. Yuusuke gritted his teeth.

"I'm _leaving,_ " he toppled forward, but before he could reach the front on all fours, Yasutomo seized his shoulder.

"You can't leave."

"Let go, you _jackass!_ "

" _Just_ _ **sit**_ _ **back**_ _ **down,**_ _ **Makishima Yuusuke!**_ "

Yuusuke whipped up his head wide-eyed to see Yasutomo towering above him, _snarling._

"Where do you think you're going, when you can't even bring yourself to stand up, _huh?!_ What were you gonna do, _a naked spider climb?!_ Your towel's on the _**left**_ _side,_ _dumbass!_ "

Yuusuke took one look where Yasutomo pointed, and crumbled into a broken heap. Yasutomo sank down beside him, fuming… until, at length, his jaw dropped in realization.

" _Yuusuke…_ "

Yuusuke's shoulders tensed.

"You wanna hear something good..? It might cheer you up."

"Like _what,_ " breathed Yuusuke, his voice strangled. "That it doesn't _matter?_ That you'll _tolerate_ _me?_ "

"Actually… it's about my sense of smell."

Yuusuke's blood ran cold.

" _You could— you_ _ **knew..?**_ "

" _Yuusuke…_ you know I have two sisters, right?" began Yasutomo. "I've been around girls my entire life. I _know_ what girls are supposed to smell like, right?"

Yuusuke could feel himself shatter, heart jumping as Yasutomo's hands cupped his cheeks.

"But the best part, Yuusuke, is that your smell never lies," he squeezed affectionately. "Remember when we first met, you caught me sniffing you? You know what you smelled like?"

Yuusuke's face scrunched up. Yasutomo's softened.

"You smelled like _a guy_ _who knew he could climb,_ " he stressed the words, eyes locked into the other's as Yuusuke's breath hitched. "You've always smelled like a guy to me, Yuusuke, because that's what you are."

Yuusuke stared back wordlessly, but Yasutomo caught the gradual slump of his shoulders, the rush of blood to his cheeks, the tears welling up in his eyes. Yasutomo smacked his lips to Yuusuke's forehead, then drew back to see the effect. The tears didn't stop, but Yuusuke bloomed a fine shade of pink.

"So cheer up, _you gangly bastard,_ " Yasutomo bonked their foreheads together. Yuusuke choked out laughter, but he couldn't stop shaking until Yasutomo pulled him close and nursed him quiet.

* * *

"You okay, Yuusuke..?"

"Yeah…"

"You ready for bed?"

"Ready.. sho."

Yasutomo pecked his cheek, then untangled from their embrace and rose to his feet. He tapped Yuusuke's shoulder. "I'll get your towel for ya."

He waded to the left and grabbed it, then turned back to fetch his own from the right, only slowing down to slip the towel into Yuusuke's hands. Yuusuke watched him saunter past, his heart swelling in gratitude as Yasutomo needlessly fiddled with his towel just to give Yuusuke time to cover up comfortably.

They left the bath together, and a few minutes later, both had retired in their night clothes to the safety of the second-years' shared bedroom, their futons waiting. Yuusuke scratched his cheek with a finger, one foot brushing at the ground.

"Yasutomo… can I be big spoon tonight, sho."

"But you're _never_ big spoon, Yuusuke," Yasutomo peered at him, curious. "What's this, huh?"

"Well… you always get hard when you're big spoon, so I used to worry that if I can't fake an erection, it might be awkward, sho…"

"You worry too much, Yuusuke," Yasutomo shook his head, then flopped onto his side of the futon, legs curled up and his backside arched invitingly. "Spoon away."

A moment later, Yuusuke pressed against him, smooth as marble.

"You're so bony, sho," he muttered as he slipped a leg between Yasutomo's thighs. Yasutomo snorted.

"Look who's talking, Yuusuke. Look at that. It's the _twig_ calling the stick _thin._ "

It was Yuusuke's turn to smother laughter. He buried his face in Yasutomo's back. Yasutomo chuckled, but up close, it sounded like purring.

"Yuusuke… love ya."

"I love you too, sho."

"Gimme kisses. Lots of 'em."

Yuusuke pressed his mouth between Yasutomo's shoulder blades. Yasutomo closed his eyes.

Two minutes later, the door slid open and Tadokoro trotted in, grinding to a halt that sent Kinjou stumbling backwards behind him. Yasutomo squinted at him.

" _What._ "

Tadokoro boiled red as a lobster. Kinjou shut the door.

"Are you two _spooning_ _**again?!**_ " flailed Tadokoro. "What's your excuse _this_ _time!_ "

"Trust exercise."

"You said that yesterday!"

"We were cold."

"Cold in _summer?_ "

"Yuusuke suplexed me and we fell on each other like this."

" _Give me a break, Arakita!_ "

"Can you lower your _voice,_ Tadokorocchi?"

"Good point," piped up Yasutomo. "I don't want Shiraiwa getting on my ass instead of Yuusuke."

"Good grief…" Tadokoro brought a heavy hand to his face, missing the way Yuusuke uncurled his arm from Yasutomo's chest to flick him on the ear. "This isn't your private room, you know! Don't you have any decency? Any compassion for your teammates?!"

"Someone stinks of _jealousy in here…_ " replied Yasutomo in a sing-song voice. "So I'm spooning the best-looking guy besides Kinjou. Deal with it."

"You _jerk!_ " huffed Tadokoro, turning his back on them. "Hey, Kinjou! _Spoon me right now!_ Let's show them how annoying they are!" he stomped his foot as Kinjou rubbed his temple with a sigh. Back on the futon, Yuusuke hugged Yasutomo closer, grinning.

* * *

 _But Yuusuke couldn't tell the first-years something so personal; it would have been far too soon. So instead, when they whined for casual romance, for "just little Yasutomo things," Yuusuke told them what he had told to Toudou two months later, when his rival asked for the umpteenth time,_

"But what does _he_ have that _I_ don't, Maki-chan?!"

"What is this, a contest, sho?"

" _Of course not!_ There _is_ no contest! Look at me, Maki-chan," Toudou switched from casual mode to Smolder. "God has blessed me with gorgeous looks, superb conversation skills, and athletic abilities envied by many. And _then,_ there's _**Arakita,**_ who is _ugly,_ loud, _rude,_ violent, and constantly disses my headbands! So I'm asking you again, Maki-chan, what does he have that I don't?!"

"A _relationship?_ " Yuusuke took a sip of his Pocari Sweat. Toudou's ears _sizzled._

" _Low blow,_ _Maki-chan!_ _ **Too low!**_ You're a climber, aren't you?! Can't you aim a little higher than that?!"

"What do you want from me, Toudou?"

"I just want to know what makes Arakita so great! Tell me, Maki-chan… How does he do it? How did he manage to win my rival's heart, and keep it for so long?"

Yuusuke clicked his tongue.

"I'm warning you, Toudou: don't expect some rose-tinted romantic nonsense from _us,_ sho. Yasutomo is everything you said and then some. I won't deny that, sho. But he's also deeply, incredibly _good,_ and it's ridiculous how much he cares, sho.

From the day we met, he's stood up for me, even if it hurt, sho. Everything he'd say about me, he made out to be our seniors' fault for smothering me, and when he got punished, he grinned and bore it, then told me to start resisting, too. That's how we began, sho. We didn't like each other, but we hated our seniors more, so we stuck together… and he just started growing on me."

"What, like _fungus?_ "

Yuusuke laughed.

" _Exactly,_ Toudou. And when it got to the point where we ended up kissing each other for some ungodly reason? He suddenly upped his game by a mile, sho! As my boyfriend, he was determined to love and embrace everything about me, and that's just what he did, sho.

Everyone's so repulsed when I smile. I know I look awful, alright?! But whenever I smile at Yasutomo, you know what he does? He grins back, _and that's it!_ You know how much that did for my self-esteem, sho?! Sometimes I even forget I'm gross because I know I'm _allowed_ , sho!

He still says my name like it's his favorite word. He made his entire dorm be nice to me, too! When I'm anxious, he says weird, ridiculous things or puts things in perspective to calm me down. When I mess up, he tells me it's _human_ , and helps clean up the mess.

He's there for me consistently, _all the time,_ because that's just who Yasutomo is _,_ sho. He once promised he'd treat me well, and he hasn't stopped since."


	7. VII

" _Makishima-san..!_ " Onoda lowered his glasses to wipe his eyes.

" _Man…_ that was really _touching,_ _dammit!_ " wailed Naruko, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"And what did Toudou-san say?" asked Sugimoto for the sake of staying on point.

"He surrendered," laughed Yuusuke. "He still insisted he was better looking and all that, but in the end, he told me, _Well, I'm glad for one thing, Maki-chan: that even when we're far apart and unable to meet, there's someone I can trust to take good care of you._ "

"Did they become better friends after that?" wondered Onoda.

"Who knows…" teased Yuusuke.

* * *

"Please tell us more, Makishima-san!" pleaded Onoda, but a moment later, the clubroom door slid open and in stepped Yasutomo clean and dressed, looming over the four of them.

" _It's the man himself!_ " blurted Naruko. Yuusuke colored. Yasutomo quirked a brow.

"Oi, first year brats," he drawled, "whatchu keeping Yuusuke here for? It's evening, _go home..!_ "

"E-Evening?" stammered Sugimoto. "Oh my, we lost track of time!"

"Sorry, _sorry!_ " Onoda sprung up. "Goodbye, Makishima-san, Arakita-san! _And thank you!_ "

They all bowed and scampered off. Yasutomo shook his head.

"Come on, Yuusuke, bath time," he held out his hand. "I'll walk you."

* * *

"You okay, Yuusuke?" Yasutomo nudged him in the arm.

"Oh, yeah," Yuusuke scratched idly at his neck, a small smile playing on his lips. "Everything was fine. But you know Onoda, once he starts, he doesn't stop…"

"You just described all of 'em."

"They're not bad kids, sho."

"Yeah, yeah…"

They reached the bath. Yuusuke hesitated.

"Yasutomo…" he brushed a tuft behind his ear. "Can you wash my hair..?"

" _Haaah?_ But that'll take _ages..!_ "

Yuusuke flashed the creepiest smile he could manage. " _Please._ "

Yasutomo scoffed, but his grin stretched wide and genuine as ever.

"Come on," he pulled Yuusuke inside.

* * *

"I'm full, sho…"

"More for me, then," Yasutomo picked at his plate. " _Yuusuke…_ I'm glad we got Onoda."

Opposite him, Yuusuke blinked. Yasutomo flashed a smile.

"You've been waiting so long for another climber. Now that Onoda's here, you can race Toudou all you want! I can smell it! This year's Inter-high's gonna be great..!"

"Yeah…" smiled Yuusuke. Yasutomo's nose crinkled.

" _Yuusuke…_ you smell so _good_. You feeling good..?"

Yuusuke bloomed pink. No matter how much he wrestled with his grin, it wouldn't go away. Yasutomo's hand bumped against his knee and Yuusuke pulled it close, squeezing.

"I'm _happy, sho..!_ "


End file.
